I’m not marginalising South-East, Buhari tells Igbo leaders

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said allegations of under-representation of the Igbo in his government were unfounded.

He said while he gave the South-East zone four substantive ministers, he could not take any decision on foreign policy and investments without the input of two of them.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President spoke while receiving leaders from the region, led by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said Buhari told his guests that while seven states in the North got Ministers of State in his administration, the South-East got four substantive ministers.

The President said, “I gave South-East four substantive ministers in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Investment, Science and Technology and Labour.

“Seven states in the North got Ministers of State and of the two ministries headed by your sons, I cannot take any decision on foreign policy and investments without their input.”

The President also promised the leaders, comprising governors and ministers from the region, the President of Ohanaeze, Chief Nnia Nwodo, and representatives from the National Assembly, that he would visit states in the zone soon.

“I want to assure you that I came into government with a clear conscience and I will also leave with a clear conscience,’’ he said.

The President assured them that the region would benefit more from roads and coastal rail projects, which were of critical importance to the economy.

He said the Second Niger Bridge, the East-West Road, and the Coastal Rail project were receiving utmost attention from his administration.

The President said counterpart funding from the Chinese government would substantially fund these projects, which when completed would improve the welfare, well-being, and economy of the people in the region.

He said, “I know the Chinese are very competent in handling such projects and we will ensure that we get the money for the projects to take off.

“I thank you for articulating your demands and I want to assure that we are doing our best for the country. If we can stop people from stealing, then there will be more resources to put into projects that will create employment for Nigerians.”

Earlier, Nwodo, while articulating the demands of the zone to the President, highlighted the issue of state creation, restructuring, federal projects in the South-East, namely the Enugu-Onitsha Road, Enugu-Port Harcourt Road and Aba-Ikot-Ekpene Road, among others.

Nwodo also demanded urgent presidential interventions on the Enugu Airport, reticulation of the gas pipelines in the South-East and the standard gauge plan for railway construction.

When asked by State House correspondents if the issue of marginalisation was discussed with the President, Nwodo said, “That was the opening line and that was why we singled out these things. Like I have said, these problems have been there overtime and we have had several presidents. It didn’t just happen in the last two years. But we expressed the desire that he should be able to address them.”

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